Pressure regulator



1942. I F. N. LAUB PRESSURE REGULATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 31, 1941 jizz'evzlvr .M filazzb.

Aug. 11, 1942.

F. N. LAUB PRES SURE REGULATOR Filed May 51, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1M lllaab.

- Patented Aug. 11, 1942 UNITED JSTAT a i l Z,Z92,574Q

- era assume REGULATOR Fred N. Laub, Los .mela. cans, admits" Ensign Carburetoro. Ltd Huntington Park, Cali!.,a corporation or California 1 M 7 Application may :1, 941, SeriaLNo. 396,.75 i 3 Claims. (01. 50

This invention has reference to pressure regu panying' drawinga the auxiIiary l1 diaphragm 'lators, and one oi'the mainpurposes of the in 'vention is the provision of arelatively simple pressure regulator mechanism which willhandle comparatively large drops in pressure'and still not require a device or large size or or structural or functional complications; .Where it has'been necessary to reduce fluid pressures through a large drop, and to maintain the delivery pressure constant, it has been the-usual past practice to use regulator mechanisms with two or more stages of'reduction, or ,regulator mechanisms provided with pilot diaphragms and valves. Where single stage regulatorshave been used for large reductions of pressure, the results have not been entirelysatisiactory because the delivery pressure has necessarily varied to some degree 1 with variations in the high pressure supply. In

order to reduce that sympathetic variation to a which is exposed to the high fluid pressure as However, such an expedient has*necessarily resulted in severe limitation regulator of given size.

used for regulated reductions of pressure through a large range, andwhereby small apparatus with large-capacity will maintain a closely regulated output pressure in spite of substantial variations of the input pressure or the supply. It will of used in connection with the several stages of a stage of regulation, maybe brieflydescribed as at the delivery side of'the main regulator dist-v phragm first operates an, auxiliary valve which The resulting movement of the compensating an opening. 5 force which is preferably a large fraction of the force necessary to open the large plied to it, and also against the valve closing spring which is usuallyused. In, the designer ithas been common in single stage regulators to make the pressure control valve f small as practicable in comparisonwith the diaphragm area exposed to the delivery pressure.

course be understood that the invention may bemultiple stage regulator, and its advantages will apply equally well to each of the several stages;

My invention, as applied to a typical single follows. Upon reductionof the delivery-pressure phragm, the initialmovement of the main dia-i diaphragm applies to the main regulator valve '5 a 0 main valve against the high iiuid' pressure apon the capacity of, a

It isone oi'the general objects of theflpresent invention to provide a simple form of mecha-' nism whereby a single stage regulator may be, v

'45 I v M admits fluid pressure from the high pressure inlet *ccompushments 9 the invention 110F170 to 'auxiliar 'or com nsatin Jdia hra a an y De 8 p gm "lowing detailed'speciiicationinwhichapreferred and illustrativeiorm oi the invention is dea to the accompanying drawings in which, j I Fig.1 is a plan, with were only 0t one-tenth mechanism isdesigned toapp y to the main valve a force equal to about 90 per cent oi the total 11- sultant-iorce required tojopen thatzvalve. Then} as the main diaphragm moves [further in its valve opening direction, needs then to apply or what it actually is in my design.

The auxiliary diaphragm-is not in my design} exposedto the full high pressure of-the intake."

It is provided with an. automatically"varyingj bleed which bleeds oi! the applied pressure, into? e ainlow pressure outlet-chamber ottheregulator: andthe automatic action or that bleed is h to u t eip essureactuauy ap*-"- plied to the auxiliary diaphragm in an which is a iunction oi -the opening or both the auxiliary valve and the valve. 1 1- crease inthe bleed, and consequent reductionist" 1 the auxiliarydiaphragm pressure, is made to be? such that theeiiective pressure applied 'tothe auxiliarydiaphragmalways bears a substantially fixed ratio-(90 percent in this case) to the high fluid pressure ortotal resultant closlngpressure on the main valve. As is well known, thei'iluid;

, pressure tending to close apoppettype valve higher when the valveis completely closed, and H decreases rapidly as the valve is-opened'. 5 provisions prevent "the opening iorceexertedi b'y the auxiliary diaphragmi'romever being greater I than the closingiorce on' the main valve andl; 7 they "also enable the main diaphragm to accom-j plish its regulating 'i'unction very closely. And a iurther, the auxiliary valve also may actgas a low capacity pressure regulator, as will be pointed V out.

best understood from aconsideration or thejolscribed, reference for these purposes being purposes or clear illustration;

Fig. '2'isa centialcross section takenon the actual regulator illustrated in the accom- 2 0 1' 8- This and other purposes corresponding 1 roken t Fig. 4 is an enlargement of certain portions of Fig. 3, and showing the parts in the position in which the auxiliary valve is open;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the plane indicated by line 55 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the plane indicated by line 6-6, of Fig. 1.

In the drawings numeral 10 indicates a suitable housing, the structural details ofwhich need no description. This housing contains the initial high pressure inlet II, the low pressure outlet l2, and the main low pressure outlet chamber l3. The main diaphragm 4 is located between a reference pressure chamber i5 and a lowlpressure diaphragm chamber l6, the latter being partially or restrictedly separated from main low pressure chamber |3 by a wall H. The particular purposes of this separation of chambers l3 and 6 will be pointed out later; for all of the the auxiliary diaphragm chamber 46 which is formed in the housing above auxiliary diaphragm 4|. Chamber 42, below auxiliary diaphragm 4|, is connected by passage 43 with the main low pressure or outlet chamber I3; the finally regulated outlet pressure thus forming the reference pressure for the auxiliary diaphragm.

The pressure from the high pressure inlet, admitted by the auxiliary valve to the upper side of auxiliary diaphragm 4| moves that diaphragm and its diaphragm stem 45 down. The upper end of stem 45 is provided with a ball and socket connection 46 with a lever 41, one end of which is pivoted at 48, the other end 43 bearing down on stem 2|a of the main valve 2|. A light spring 53 tends to move auxiliary diaphragm 4| downwardly and to .keeplever 41 in contact with the main valve stem. It also holds sealing washer major functions of the regualtor those two chambers may be considered as if they were one. The reference force 'or pressure which isapplied to main diaphragm-i4 may be applied in any manner. The present regulator has been designed to use atmospheric pressure, or modified atmospheric pressure, as the reference pressure; and accordingly the reference pressure chamber I5 is provided.

From inlet H a valve port:26 leads directly to A low pressure chamber l3, and main valve 2 l. seats on port 20 by movement in the direction in which the high inlet pressure tends to move it. a To insure good seating the valve seating spring 22 is also provided. Main diaphragm H has a diaphragm 'stem 2 which passes through a guide 26 mounted in wall 11. Restricted communication between chambers I3 and i6 may be provided in any suitable manner, but it is here provided by making stem 25 polygonal in cross section while the bore in guide 26 is cylindric. The reference pressure on diaphragm l4 tends to move it down, while the regulated delivery pressure under the diaphragm tends to move it up. When the diaphragm moves down, the lower end of stem 25 presses down on a button 21 whichis mounted in the outer end of a lever 26 pivoted at its other end at 29. Intermediate its ends lever 26- presses down on auxiliary valve stem 30, so that when main diaphragm l4 movesdown, the downwardly moving lever 28 movesauxiliary valve 3| downwardly ofi its seat 32. Valve seat 32 ismounted in a valve fitting 33 which has a verticalbore extending from end to end. This vertical bore of the valve plug may lie just below the lower edge of bore 36. The upper part 54 of the valve plug is tapered. .The degree of taper, and the exact shape of the tapered portion, as well as its length, .may depend on factors of regulator design which are variable. Inthis particular case, for the regulator herein illustrated, valve plug 52 is of the proportionate size and shape here illustrated, its upper portion 54 being frustroconical. And its length and its position on auxiliary valve stem 30, are such that when auxiliary valve 3| is initiallyopened and button 21 of lever 26 has moved down onto lever 41, with main valve 2| just ready to open, the upper end of valve plug 54 has just about reached or Just passed the lower "edge of bore 36. The major diameter of valve plug 52 is just slightlyless than the diameter of bore 36, so that there is al.- ways a bleedv passage through bore 36 into the main low pressurechamber l3. Fluid from bore 36 reaches that low pressure chamber through lateralports 360. at the upper end of valve flt- It will clarify Figs. 3 and 4 if I state that the parts designated generally by the numeral 3 is made up of a lower larger bore 34, an intermediate size bore 35, and a small uppermost bore 36. Valve seat 32 is fittedin the larger'bore 34 against the shoulder at the upper end of that bore. The lower end of bore 34 isequipped with a press-fitted plug 31 which forms a guide for 1 the lower end of auxiliary valve stem 36 and also forms a supporting seat for the small spring 38 which is merely strong enough to assure movement of the parts to the inactive position of Fig. 3 and the proper seating of valve 3|. Plug 31 has an opening 39 through which the inlet high pressure is admitted to bore 34.

When auxiliary valve 3| is moved downwardly oil its seat by the initial downward movement I of main diaphragm I4, fluid under pressure is immediately admitted to intermediate bore 35. This intermediate bore 35 is connected, via ports 36', chamber 31' and port 38' (see Fig. 5), to

and which appear behind valve ,stem 30 and levers" and 47, are the parts forming the pivotal mounting for lever 41. This mounting is the sameas the mounting 3:1 for pivot 23 of lever 28. Each includesa stirrup 9b whose ends are mountedon lugs 60 of the housing casting.

The particular regulator shown in the drawings has been designed for feeding gaseous fuel, such as butane, from a relatively high pressure source as high as. onehundred pounds per square inch, to a carbureter of an internal combustion engine at a pressure preferably slightly subatmospheric. My invention may of course be used-in connection with pressure regulators for any purpose, but will be illustratively described as being used for the particular purpose stated.

' spring 22 holds the main valve main diaphragm I4 upwardly with suilicient. force to insure closure of valve 3|. The =mainvalve closed. As soon as suction is applied to the regulator outlet, the reference pressure on top of maindiap hragm H forces that diaphragm down, and that downward movement immediately opens auxiliaryrvalve 3| to admit pressure from high pressure inlet II to the upper side of auxiliary diaphragm 4|'. The pressure thus applied to the auxiliary diaphragm is not equal to the initial high, pressure, because that applied pressure is re'strictedly bled ofi past the bleeder valve plug 52 to low pressurecham-r ber l3 and outlet |2. However, the proportion-v ing and design of all the interacting parts are such that, when downward movement of the main diaphragm has moved auxiliary valve 3| and bleeder valve 52 to the positions shown in Fig. 4,,

with button 21 resting on lever 41, then the effective pressure applied downwardly to auxiliary diaphragm 4| (over and above the low pressure at the under face of'that diaphragm) is such that.

thejauxiliary diaphragm .then applies to main valve stem 2|a a downward opening force equal to, say, 90 percent of the total force necessary to open the main valve. In thatposition of the.

parts the initial high inlet pressure is fully ef fective over the whole area of the-main valve to keep it closed; and main valve spring 22 also adds to the closing force. ber I3'opp0ses the valve closing forces. In the position of-Fig. 4 the valve opening levervv 41 exerts a downward force equalt'o 90 percent of the total resultant 'force which tends to close the main valve. In this connection it will be remembered I that auxiliary diaphragm -4|jis alsosubjected to the low pressure from'outletchamber l3, in opposition to the modified high pressure which is applied .to it. Consequently any variation in the low pressure substantially balances itself out, as

the low pressure is applied. to the auxiliary diaphragrn in adirection which tends toallow the main valve to close, and is also applied to the main valve in a direction tending toopen it.

Assuming that thedraft on regulator outlet 2 is greater than can be supplied by the bleed past 7 The low pressure inchamvalve plug 52, at the delivery pressure for which the regulator is set; the lowered pressure in main diaphragm chamber It allows the reference pressure to force that diaphragm further down- When the main wardly, to open main valve2l. valve is once open, main diaphragm l4 and mam valve 2| then act in the same general manner as r an ordinary single stage regulator, except for the fact that variations in the initial high pressure entail only one-tenth as much accompanying variation in the low pressure as they do in an ordinary single stage regulator. In its regulating action the main diaphragm only has to compen sate and oppose one-tenth of the effective closing pressures on the main valve, and therefore only has to compensate for one-tenth of the variations in those pressures which tend to closethe main valve.

The particular function 'of valve plug 52 is to' vary the effective pressure applied to auxiliary diaphragm 4|, so as to compensat for the 'varying efl'ective pressures which tend to close main valve 2| in its changing operating positions. As is well known, the efl'ective fluid pressure on such a valve as 2| drops off rather sharply as the.

valve opens. Valve plug'52 is of such configuration and so placed and sized with reference to bore 36 that, in the position of Fig. 4 with the main valve closed, pressure on th auxiliary dia therefore depend somewhat ticular illustrated design it has been phragm is'such as to compensate ao'p'ercent or the resultantefiective closing forces on the main .valve; and also such that, as the main' valve opens, the effective pressure on the auxiliary diaphragm drops off proportionately as the total effective closing force on the main valve drops ofi. Thus, in all the operating positions of the main regulator -valve,-the opening forces exerted by the auxiliary diaphragm can never' be greater than the resultant closing force on the main valve, and the maindiaphragm has'onlyto oppose and compensate for ten percent of the closing forces exerted on'the main valve. I

- The size, shape and position of valve plug 52.; as here shownhave been determined for the il-.

lustrated regulator. For other regulators, and

pressures, the valve plug ma-y beislightly different from that allustrated in 'orde'rto achieve the closingforce on that valve; the Spring closing force being relatively small. In a regulator takj ing a lower initial pressure; the spring closing force-awhich is substantially a constant is rela'e, tively larger. In such a "case the valve plug 52 will be shaped and'placed so'that the effective pressure applied to the auxiliary diaphragm will dropoff toward a relatively higher fixed constant than is thecase here. 7 Another particular which may be varied depends on the following considerations. In the il- 7 lustrated design auxiliary valve 3|" always opens v wider. as the valve plug 52 opens. The resultant effective pressure on the auxiliary-diaphragm is. therefore the composite result of the concomitant opening and closing of both valves: and the exact shape, sizeor placement of valve plug '52, may

closing characteristicsofauxiliary valve 3|;

The foregoing description icatedpon the. assumption that tlieminimu'm draft on the regulator outlet will always be'greater than the supply'of gas which takes place through thebleeder valve52. If however. the 1 minimum gdraft should at anytime be less than I the amount which may be supplied through valvesv 3| and 52 when in the position showngin Fig.4, .then for that limited capacity themain diaphragm I4 will act in conjunction with valves 3| and 52, as a single stage pressureregulator.

From what has been said it will be readilyunderstood that the function of lever is to transmit .a'valve opening force from auxiliary diaphragmzll to main valve 2|. this by having its end rest directly the auxiliary valve units 3| and 52.

venient totransmit the movements of diaphragm to main valve 2|, and at the same time to move the auxiliary valve units 3|.and 52 first-independently and then in consonance with the movements of the main valve, by having lever 28 (or its button 21) move down'upon the end of lever 41 which rests on the main 'valve stem. However, it will be understood that other suitable physical connective relations between the parts will accomplish the same results as here described. It is only necessary that auxiliary diaphragm 4| be physically connected with .the

' main valve in such a manner as to apply the described opening forces to the main valve throu hon the opening" and has so farfbeen pried- 1 Lover 41 'does" on valve stem" 2| a. The function of lever 28 is to transmit the pressure induced movements of diaphragm M to r In the parfound conout its movement, and that mainvdiaphragm ll be connected with the auxiliary-valve units in such manner that the initial diaphragm move-- ment opens those valves before the'main diaphragm is physically connected with the main 5 ered insofar as the main purposes of this invention are concerned. The restricted interconnection of the two chambers makes the diaphragm chamber it somewhat slow to respond to pressure variations in outlet chamber I3, and that is generally desirable to prevent oscillatory action.'

The restricted interconnection also allows the pressure in It to be slightly modified. For instance, Fig. 6 shows an arrangement for idling control of the regulated outlet pressure. Connection 60 is connected to the suction passage of the carburetor at a point just inside the closed throttle. Manifold depression during idling operation of the engine is thereby applied to passage 6|. Control valve 82 .adjustably proportions the manifold suction between passage 63 25.

leading to diaphragm chamber I. and passage 84 leading to outlet chamber H. The suction thus applied to chamber I6 lowers the pressure in it and thus tends to raise the regulated delivery pressure in i3. And the two passages 83 and 64, in conjunction with the connection to the carbureter, form anidling by-pass.

Wherever I speak herein of diaphragms, I mean to include any of the suitable pressure responsive elements which are understood in this art as equivalents.

I claim: 7

1. In a pressure regulator having a high pressure inlet and low pressure outlet, aregulating diaphragm exposed on one face to the low outlet pressure, and a regulating valve operable by the diaphragm to open against the high pressure to which the valve is exposed; the features which include, a lost motion connection between the diaphragm and the regulating valve whereby the diaphragm may move independently a limited distance in valve opening direction before applying force to the valve to open it, a pressure actuated mechanism adapted to apply an opening force to the regulating valve, said mechanism including an auxiliary diaphragm exposed on pne face to the low-outlet pressure of the regulator, and valvular means actuated by the independent movement of the regulating diaphragm and adapted to controllably apply pressure from the high pressure inlet to the other face of the auxiliary diaphragm, said valvular means including an inlet valve which is opened by said diaphragm movement to admit pressure from the inlet to said other face of the auxiliary dia- 60 phragm, and a bleeder valve which opens in consonance with the inlet valve to eil'ectively reduce the pressure applied to the auxiliary diaphragm as the regulating diaphragm acts to open the regulating valve.

2. In a pressure regulator having a high pressure inlet and low pressure outlet, a regulating diaphragm exposed on one face to the low outlet pressure, and a regulating valve operable by the diaphragm to open against the high pressure to which the valve is exposed; the features which include, a lost motion connection between the diaphragm and the regulating valve whereby the diaphragm may move independently a limited distance in valve opening direction before applying force to the valve to open it, a pressure actuated mechanism adapted to apply an opening ,force to the regulating valve, and valvular means actuated by the movement of the regulating diaphragm to controllably apply pressure from the high pressure inlet to the pressure actuated mechanism, said valvular means including an inlet valve which is opened by the independent diaphragm movement to admit pressure from the high pressure inlet to said mechanism, and

also including a bleeder valve which is opened in consonance with the opening of the regulating valve by the regulating diaphragm.

3. Ina pressure regulator having a high pressure inlet and low pressure outlet, a regulating diaphragm exposed on one face to the low outlet pressure, and a regulating valve operable by the diaphragm to open against the high pressure to which the valve is exposed; the features whichinclude. a lost motion connection between the diaphragm and the regulating valve whereby the diaphragm may move independently a limited distance in valve opening direction before applying force to the valve to open it, a pressure actuated mechanism adapted to apply an opening force to the regulating valve, said mechanism including an auxiliary diaphragm exposed on one face to the low outlet pressure of the regulator, and valvular means actuated by the movement of the regulating diaphragm and acting to controllably apply pressure from the high pressure inlet to the other face of the auxiliary diaphragm, said'valvular means including an inlet valve which is opened by the independent movement of the regulating diaphragm to admit high pressure to the auxiliary diaphragm, and also including a bleeder valve which is opened in consonance with the opening of the regulating valve by the regulating diaphragm,all so that the pressure actuated mechanism applies to the regulating valve an opening force which is a substantially constant fraction of the'closing forces exerted on that valve in its various operating posi-- N. LAUB.

tions. 

